Edinson Volquez pitched the 26th one-hitter in Padres history at Petco Park on Thursday night, coming within one exceptional play of throwing the first no-hitter in franchise history.

Matt Downs got the Astros’ only hit — an infield single — with two out in the fourth. He beat out a ball topped to the right of Volquez. The pitcher fielded the ball but had no throw on Downs.

“I don’t want to talk about that play,” joked Volquez. “I’m going to have defensive drills tomorrow. I have to make that play.”

Said Downs: “When you look at the fourth inning and realize that’s the only hit you’re going to get, you’re glad you didn’t get no-hit.”

Volquez retired 15 of the last 16 hitters he faced to record the first complete game of his career, the Padres winning 1-0 on a first-inning, RBI single by Logan Forsythe before 26,735.

“That was a lot of fun,” said Padres catcher Yasmani Grandal. “One hit on a jam shot ... that should have been a no-hitter. Volquez came up and in on Downs and he got enough of it to make it a hard play.”

In addition to the one hit, Volquez, a 29-year-old right-hander, issued three walks and had five strikeouts. He threw 117 pitches with 75 going for strikes.

It was the fifth 1-0 one-hitter in Padres history and the Padres’ first one-hitter since Mat Latos at San Francisco on May 13, 2010. That was also the most recent 1-0, no-hit win.

Volquez, Grandal and first baseman Yonder Alonso were three of the four players to come from Cincinnati last Dec. 17 in the trade that sent Latos to the Reds.

Thursday night’s gem was also just the third complete game shutout by a Padres pitcher at Petco Park and the first since Jake Peavy on Aug. 23, 2005. And Volquez was the first Padre to pitch a one-hit shutout at home since Andy Benes on July 3, 1994, at Qualcomm Stadium.

“It’s an understatement to say that was a well-pitched game,” said Padres manager Bud Black. “Volquez was in command. He was in control of every pitch. Tonight was all Volquez. You could see the confidence in him from the first pitch to the last.

“He held his stuff all night. He was throwing good curves in the ninth and his fastball was still at 93-94.”

Black had thought about bringing in closer Huston Street for the ninth.

“I thought about it for a split second ... he had that look in his eye. I thought it was his game.”

“Buddy asked me what I had for the ninth,” said Volquez. “I told him two strikeouts and a fly to center.”

He got one strikeout and two flies to the outfield — the last out coming on a Scott Moore liner to center fielder Alexi Amarista near the warning track.

Volquez faced three hitters over the minimum in a game that almost featured a triple play by the Padres.

Volquez walked J.D. Martinez to open the second and third baseman Chase Headley fumbled Downs’ grounder to third for an error — putting Astros at first and second with none out.

Justin Maxwell hit a liner toward right-center that was pulled down by a leaping Forsythe at second. Forsythe threw to shortstop Everth Cabrera to double Martinez off second, but Cabrera’s relay to first was not quite in time to triple up Downs as he dived back into the bag.

Two Astros reached second in the game and only one Astro reached base after Downs’ infield single. Marvin Gonzalez drew a one-out walk in the sixth, but was thrown out trying to steal second by Grandal — the first runner thrown out by the rookie catcher in 18 attempts.

The Padres scored the only run they needed before Houston starter Lucas Harrell retired a hitter.

Amarista opened the game by going the other way with the second pitch he saw, doubling into the left-field corner to extend his hitting streak to eight straight games. Forsythe then punched a single through the right side on the first pitch he saw from Harrell — Amarista easily sliding home ahead of the throw from Houston right fielder Justin Maxwell.